256 HAPPY HUNTING-GROUNDS 



neighbour's permission to enjoy a day in the water 

 above. There are some fine fish in the lake, although 

 I do not think they are ever as good either for sport- 

 ing or eating purposes as the real river ones ; but I 

 have hardly ever fished there. 



I had, however, a funny experience one day from 

 the bridge, now visible about thirty yards above the 

 weir, which carries the road from the lodge over the 

 end of the lake. I was looking over the parapet, and 

 could see quite plainly two or three big fish in the still 

 clear water below. One, a big rather black fellow, 

 was occasionally sucking in the flies that floated over 

 him, and I managed more by good luck than good 

 guidance to float down a black gnat just in the centre 

 of one of his rises, without scaring him. He took it 

 like a lion, and after a brief struggle (for he was in 

 poor condition) was describing circles at the top of 

 the, water. But how to land him ? The bridge is a 

 parapeted arch quite six feet above the stream, and 

 the road below it is fenced on both sides. To lift the 

 fish must, of course, have resulted in an instant break, 

 and the handle of my landing-net was not nearly long 

 enough to reach the water. At this crisis came the 

 dea ex machina, in the shape of one of the maidservants 

 riding home from her shopping in Newbury on a bicycle. 

 I pointed out my difficulty, and entreated her to take 

 my net, go round the corner below and secure my fish, 

 which by this time had not a kick left in him. I could 

 not persuade her to attempt this feat, but with some 

 difficulty prevailed upon her to take my rod and hold 

 it steady while I myself descended and landed the 

 fish, a great ugly brute weighing about two and a half 

 pounds, which ought to have been over three had it 



